Business Resumes, Events and Classes Continue as Scheduled in Aftermath of Small Shredder Fire at Haas

April 27, 2011

The Haas School of Business continues to make progress in assessing the damage and cleaning up after the paper shredder fire that occurred in the mailroom of the Student Services Building and triggered the fire alarm at 6:05 a.m. Wednesday morning (4/27/11).

No one was hurt or injured as a result of the fire, and the two adjacent buildings–Earl F. Cheit Hall and the Gerson and Barbara Bakar Faculty Building–were not affected. Classes and events proceed as scheduled.

The Fire Marshal has determined that only one sprinkler activated, which saved the building from a bigger fire and structural damage.

At this time, American Technologies Inc. is on site removing water, replacing ceiling tiles, ventilating the building, and taking an inventory of damages.

In order to facilitate an efficient and safe clean-up, everyone on the Haas School campus is asked to abide by all “DO NOT ENTER” signs that are posted in impacted areas of the building.

The Haas School has temporarily relocated affected office areas until they are clean and safe to enter. Below is an estimated timeline for re-opening closed areas of the Student Services Building:

Open Tomorrow

Business Library (access from third floor only)

Dean’s Suite

Open Monday, May 2

Career Services (4th floor offices)

Evening & Weekend MBA Admissions

Full-time MBA Admissions

Full-time MBA Program Office * (see note below)

Human Resources

Center for Teaching Excellence

Haas@Work

Budget staff (partial)

Open in approximately 2 weeks

Evening & Weekend MBA Program Office * (see note below)

Berkeley-Columbia EMBA Program Office * (see note below)

Undergraduate Program Office * (see note below)

Haas Mailroom and Copy Center (Mailroom will be temporarily relocated to the Dean’s Conference Room for April 28 and 29, and then relocated to the Staff Lounge beginning May 2)

Staff Lounge

*Degree program directors will email students directly for alternate location and contact information

Those Haas staff who work in temporarily closed locations should contact their managers for information on where to report to work. All staff are welcome to use the faculty lounge for water, heating meals, etc. It is located on the fifth floor of the faculty building, F580.

Members of the Haas School community who have questions should contact the appropriate program director, manager, or the Haas School’s Chief Operating Officer Jennifer Chizuk.

Members of the news media or the public wishing to get more information should contact Ute Frey, Haas Marketing & Communications, at 510-642-0342 or frey@haas.berkeley.edu.